Description
On July 30th, 1938, in honor of his 75th birthday, Henry Ford was visited in his Michigan office by two officials who presented him with an award: a white cross affixed to a red ribbon. That award was the ‘Order of the German Eagle,’ the highest decoration attainable to a non-German in the Third Reich, the recipients of whom were men Hitler greatly admired. But this was no one-way relationship: Ford, much like his counterparts at General Motors, would go on to be a crucial investor in the German war effort. He was also a profound anti-Semite whose newspaper, ‘The Dearborn Independent,’ published articles under such titles as ‘The International Jew: The World’s Problem.’
During this conversation, we’ll explore the relationship between industrialists such as Ford and the Third Reich, demonstrating how financiers the world over backed the Nazis - primarily out of fear of losing their riches to a Communist ascension, with anti-Semitism either tolerated or enthusiastically embraced. We’ll uncover how household names in Germany and beyond–Thyssen, Krupp, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, I.G. Farben, IBM, Bayer, BMW–lent their support to the Third Reich, and how mildly they were punished for such collaborations. We’ll see how these corporations and their successors have succeeded in repressing research on these issues for decades, so that recent revelations–such as that pertaining to the family which owns the Krispy Kreme doughnut franchise–prove to be serious shocks, calling into question our own corporate loyalties to this day.
Led by an expert on modern German history, Dr. Finn Ballard, this Conversation will illuminate the connections between Adolf Hitler and the corporations which backed him. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of the nuanced history of the finances who lent support to the Third Reich.
To learn more about German history with Context, we invite you to explore our in-person tours and online seminars.
During this conversation, we’ll explore the relationship between industrialists such as Ford and the Third Reich, demonstrating how financiers the world over backed the Nazis - primarily out of fear of losing their riches to a Communist ascension, with anti-Semitism either tolerated or enthusiastically embraced. We’ll uncover how household names in Germany and beyond–Thyssen, Krupp, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, I.G. Farben, IBM, Bayer, BMW–lent their support to the Third Reich, and how mildly they were punished for such collaborations. We’ll see how these corporations and their successors have succeeded in repressing research on these issues for decades, so that recent revelations–such as that pertaining to the family which owns the Krispy Kreme doughnut franchise–prove to be serious shocks, calling into question our own corporate loyalties to this day.
Led by an expert on modern German history, Dr. Finn Ballard, this Conversation will illuminate the connections between Adolf Hitler and the corporations which backed him. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of the nuanced history of the finances who lent support to the Third Reich.
To learn more about German history with Context, we invite you to explore our in-person tours and online seminars.
About Your Expert
Finn grew up in Northern Ireland before moving to England to study and later teach in the department of Film and Literature at the University of Warwick. He completed his doctoral study on German folklore and popular cinema in 2012, and has published extensively in the fields of Film Studies and Gender Studies. Since 2008, he has been living and guiding in Berlin. He now works as a historical advisor for television and film productions set in Berlin, particularly during the Weimar era or Third Reich. He is a journalist for the 'Siegessauele', Europe's foremost Queer magazine, and organises events at Berlin's English-language bookstore 'Another Country'.
Audience
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
Duration
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.